For over a year, Jewish students on American college campuses have been the subject of targeted harassment and attacks at the hands of their fellow students and faculty. This issue has been ongoing for decades, but it truly broke out into the open after October 7, when radical Jew-haters on these campuses took a cue from Hamas to enact their own scaled-down intifadas. During this time, people of conscience everywhere, both Jewish and non-Jewish, Democrat and Republican, were demanding the federal and state governments to address this growing issue. Now that President Donald Trump is back in office, those grievances are being answered.
To be frank, the only places where these attacks on campus need to still be addressed are the institutions that are in states run by Democrats. Florida and Texas, for example, dealt with these campus protesters and their affinity for harassing Jews a long time ago. The federal government, under then-President Joe Biden, did not take any action. Neither did states like New York, California, and Massachusetts, home to the worst offending universities.
The Executive Order specifically directs the Justice Department to investigate and penalize acts of “anti-Jewish racism in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities.” It focuses on quelling pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation, a direct reaction to the wave of protests that erupted following the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians, which included acts of rape, murder, and kidnapping.
Since those attacks, anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses have reportedly increased by over 500%, according to the Anti-Defamation League. These incidents have included harassment, vandalism, and the establishment of protest encampments that have notably intimidated Jewish students. The Executive Order mandates visa revocation and the deportation of those foreign students who engage in anti-Semitic activities that violate US laws.
The newly announced task force will be headed by Leo Terrell, who serves as the senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights. In his role, Terrell will lead a collaborative effort involving officials from the Justice Department, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services. Speaking on the initiative, Terrell stated, “Anti-Semitism in any environment is repugnant to this nation’s ideals. The department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found.” This task force marks the first significant action following Trump’s Executive Order.
The Biden administration was so incompetent in addressing these issues that several Democrats gained prominence by the mere act of highlighting the inaction – and even went so far as to completely change their minds on Trump because of this. One of the more notable examples of this turnaround is actor Michael Rapaport, who went on a 20-minute anti-Trump rant in March of 2023, and by November of 2023 he began to say that voting for Trump was “on the table.”
Another voice that gained prominence is Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Harvard student and a registered Democrat who became so disillusioned by the actions of both his university and his Party that he sued Harvard and campaigned for Trump. Kestenbaum’s advocacy on this issue was so passionate that he earned speaking slots at Trump rallies and even the Republican National Convention in 2024.
In a previous speech, President Trump had warned of severe consequences for universities failing to curb anti-Semitic propaganda, including the potential loss of accreditation and federal funding. He emphasized the need for equal protection for Jewish Americans, stating, “We’re not going to subsidize the creation of terrorist sympathizers – certainly [not] on American soil.”
The response from political figures has been swift. Senator Joni Ernst underscored the intent to work alongside the Trump administration to ensure law enforcement on campuses, asserting that universities must face repercussions for fostering hate. Meanwhile, Nicki Neily of Parents Defending Education highlighted the order’s significance not just in higher education but also in K-12 schools, where she claims anti-Semitism has been equally pervasive yet less reported.
This is not the first time Trump has made significant moves to protect the Jewish community. In December 2019, during his first term, Trump signed Executive Order 13899, titled “Combating Anti-Semitism,” to protect Jewish Americans from discrimination. This order specifically reinforces the enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by explicitly addressing anti-Semitic discrimination on college campuses and in federally funded programs, adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism. Trump’s proactive approach not only strengthened the civil rights protections for Jewish students and communities, but also sends a powerful message worldwide about America’s commitment to fighting anti-Semitism, thereby making a significant and lasting contribution to the safety and dignity of Jewish people in the United States.
In the last Congress, House Republicans, along with a bipartisan group of Democrats, pushed forward the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act (H.R. 6090). This legislation was aimed at expanding Title VI protections to explicitly include discrimination against Jews by adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism. Despite passing the House with significant support, the bill met its demise in the Senate, a failure that can be squarely laid at the feet of then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck “Shomer Yishmael” Schumer. Schumer, who has the power to bring bills to the floor for a vote, disgracefully chose not to do so, effectively killing this critical piece of legislation. His refusal to act not only betrayed the Jewish community but also showed a shocking disregard for combating anti-Semitism on college campuses, where incidents have been on the rise. This was par for the course for Schumer’s time as Majority leader, where he chose radical leftist party interests over pro-Jewish bipartisan bills every single time.
Now Schumer is out, Biden is out, and Trump and Republicans are back in. This Executive Order is a good first step to protecting Jewish students on college campuses, but there is more to be done. Congress should immediately pass this into law, so a future president cannot reverse these protections and keep Jew-hating and America-hating foreign nationals posing as students in our country.
Moshe Hill is a political analyst and columnist. His work can be found at www.aHillwithaView.com and on X at @HillWithView.
